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' UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrca.

FREDERICK BECK, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

FELT PAPER AND PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 359,531, dated March15, 1887. Application filed July 29,1886. Serial No. 209,462.(Specimens) To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FREDERICKBECK, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Felt Paper and in the Process for theManufacture thereof, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to what is known distinctively ascloth-surface or felt paperthat is to say, a paper made from acomparatively coarse-fibered stock or pulp,,having a surface texture andappearance similar to a rough or felted cloth, in contradistinction tothe hard, smooth, and comparatively even surface of ordinary paperstheobject I have in view being more particularly to produce a paper of thiskind which shall be particularly adapted for decorating walls andceilings.

In carrying out my invention I make the paper from uncolored pulp-thatis to say, pulp that is left in its natural color, according to thestockemployedintending by the word uncolored to distinguish the pulp fromthat which maybe either artificially colored or bleached, so as to bebrought to substantial uniformity of color. The formed felt paper thusmade has a felted cloth surface which is not of uniform color, but is offlecked appearance, owing to the arrangement and varying shades of thefibers of which it is composed. One or both faces of this paper I thencolor, using, preferably, a thin water-color, which is a surface coloronly.

In order to more particularly define and ascertain myinvention I remarkhere that I am aware that colored paper has been produced by dyeing thepulp before forming it into paper. In this case the fibers are uniformlycolored before made into paper, and the paper itself is of unifornicolor and without that softness and tone which characterize my improvedpaper. Paper, after it has been formed-that is, compressed and dried-hasalso been colored by the dyeing process-that isto say, by immersion in avat containing the coloringliquid, which was allowed to soak into andpermeate the paper-this operation being generally preliminary to that ofglazing the paper. This process, however, results in the production of apaper of substantially the same uniform color as that first abovereferred to. Liquid colors have also been applied, in the manufacture ofordinary papers, to the pulp the paper. Paper-such as drawing paper, orboard-having a hard finish and comparatively smooth surface of uniformcolor has also been colored with a wash of color applied to its surface,the surplus of the wash being removed by the application ofblotting-paper or some other absorbent material, so as to leave theresidue irregularly distributed over the surface of the paper.

None of the foregoing processes is effective to produce the resultwhichl have in view.

In my case the peculiar soft and pleasing variations in the tone andshades of the colored surface of the finished product are not dependentupon or due to irregular distribution of color, for that may be appliedwith absolute evenness and uniformity, but to the texture itself andfibers of the uncolored paperthat is to say, the felted paper made from'uncolored pulp, ashereinbefore set forth. The application of a uniformwash of color to such cloth-surface paper imparts to it a generaluniformity of color, which is relieved by minute and countlessvariations in shade, due to the vari-color'ed natural fibers of the pulpfrom which the paper is made, thus producing the eifectwhich is theobject I have in view in my invention.

To enable those skilled inthe art to practice my invention, I will nowproceed to set forth more particularly the manner in which it is or maybe carried into effect.

The first step-is to prepare an uncolored pulp, such as above advertedto. This pulp, by well-known processes, is then formed into sheets orrolls of what is known in the art as cloth-surface or felt ,paper. Suchfelt paper is then grounded on one or both faces with a coating ofwater-color mixed with animalor vegetable size, and either with orwithout alum or its equivalent. The size I employ at the time ofapplying the color is in addition to the size used in the pulp-vat bypaper-makers, it being used by me the better to fix the color upon thepaper.

web at various stages before the completion of 5 ICO The method ofmixing the colors is well known to those skilled in this art, and doesnot require description here, further than to state that the colorsshould be very much thinned or reduced by the addition, generallyspeaking, of about twice the amount of water from that ordinarilyemployed. The proportions, however, will depend somewhat upon thespecial coloruscd and the particular effect desired, all of which is nowwell understood.

As stated, the color may be applied to one side of the paper only, or toboth sides, as de sired, and if to both sides, then one side may be of adifferent color from the other. This feature is useful in making papersfor use other than that of wall-papers-as, forinstance, for book-bindersand like usesand hereinafter where I refer to the surface of the paper Imean either one or both sides.

My papers, as stated, may be made either with or without the employmentof alum. I prefer, however, to use the alum or its equiva lent, sincethereby the color becomes more fixed. This coating of thin color may bea pplied to the paper in any suitable manner and by any suitable means;but I prefer to employ revolving brushes in conjunction with a suitableapparatus. I have found that somewhat stiff brushes produce the bestresults.

I wish it to be understood that Ido notlimit myself to a color, socalled, mixed with a size, because a dyesuch as the anilines and otherdyes suitably prepared-may be employed instead of the colors. I preferthe colors, however, because by their use the tints and shades of colorcan be more easily and accurately secured, and also on the score ofcheapness.

The papers thus made by me have a peculiarly floeky appearance, orrather a certain depth of softness strongly resembling cloth, certainparticles of the stock not being acted on by the thin coloring-matter tothe same extent that other parts are, and these partiallycoloredparticles appearing on the surface give a peculiarly soft effect.Moreover, my papers do not polish when rubbed, as flock papers made inother ways do.

The sizing may be applied as a separate operation preceding orsucceeding the application of the color; but I prefer to apply them bothtogether, as stated.

In addition to the advantages of superior product, I make alarge savingin cost of manufacture, because when the pulp is colored in the vat ittakes up a much larger amount of coloring material than is employed bymy process, even when both sides of the paper are colored, and some ofthe coloring materials are expensive.

My papers may be embossed, printed, or otherwise ornamented in the samemanner as other papers of a like class, and any color or shade of colorused in this art may be employed.

Having described my invention, I claim-- 1. As a new manufacture,clotlrsurface or felt paper made from uncolorcd pulp, and tinted orcolored on the surface only, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The described process of making colored felt paper, consisting infirst producing an uncolored pulp, then forming the same into sheets orrolls offelt paper, and then coloring or tinting the surface only ofsaid paper, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore setforth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 28th day of July, A. D. 1886.

FREDERICK BECK.

